The full moon was high above the sky, yet the rain continued to pour.Water streamed down the roads, making it harder to move, let alone run from one place to another.This was the reason the forty-year-old Clifford Ortis stayed standing in front of the thirty-two story building he was working at.It had been hours since he left the office, but he remained stuck there. He heaves a deep sigh, looking once more at his beat up watch his father gave him.Its small hands pointed at the eight, while the long one was on the six.“Thirty minutes before nine,” he mumbles, once again letting out a huff of disappointment. It had a been a tiring day, and he really wanted to take a good rest, especially since it was a Friday. Yet he still could not go home because of the weather. Eyes wandering around, he takes one more look at the large glass window of the nearby electronics store.He can see a woman on the screen of several televisions, all reporting about the recent disappearance of another stu
“Why does it feel so cold?”This is the first thing which came into Clifford’s mind. It did not bother him that his entire body remained lightweight. He could not distinguish up from down, turning each time he tried to move, which became his primary concern.From his own perspective, they’d been traversing the swirling vortex for almost an hour. Of course, he wasn’t sure of that, having no way of telling.He couldn’t see much, despite being surrounded by those different colored lights. Neither can he glimpse at the teen he held, as they kept turning. All he knew was that the lad had lost consciousness a while ago.Only when a sudden gust of wind, followed by a freezing chill, that he had to wince from the sensation. He hadn’t even blinked twice, but that certain moment was enough for him to lose sight of things.When he opened his eyes, they were no longer inside the whirlpool of color, instead they now floated in a never ending void of those mixed lights. White and black like curtain
The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm golden glow over the landscape as the knight stood before the marching caravan, watching from the cliff of the hill.Sir Malver, a decorated and veteran warrior, headed this group. A man well into his thirties, he was a living testament to the countless battles and skirmishes of the hardships of the land. His once-youthful face now bore the marks of time, with lines etched across his brow and an expression that spoke of wisdom and experience. His beard, a lustrous gray, gave an air of gravity to his already commanding presence.His eyes, a deep-set pair of steely blue orbs, seemed to hold the weight of decades of hard-won knowledge through the years.Though aged, his athletic frame remained, broad shoulders and muscular build still hinted at the formidable warrior. His gait was determined, a reflection of the unwavering spirit that burned within him.Clad in battle-scarred armor that had seen its fair share of combat, the man’s imposing figu
Clifford groaned, stirring himself when he felt his back hit a bump from the sudden jolt on which he laid. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the dim light seeping through a window. The sound of horses’ hooves and wheels rattling against the dirt.As he looked around, he realized that he had fallen asleep. He shivered, having those inkling sensations of teeth on him, remembering the relentless pain and agony he’d experience from the beasts, being continuously gnawed at and teared his body, feeding upon him.It took him sometime to recover from the traumatic event, gathering his thoughts to process his current situation. While staring at his hands, he examined himself, along with the life bar on his side. Thankfully, it was slowly regenerating. His points were now about one-fourth. The wounds he sustained had completely healed. Of course, the pain continued to harbor in his mind.Even if it was traumatizing, a good thing came out of that encounter. He confirme
“So we are in a world with magic, monsters, and mystic beings. And they have there is this leveling system to help us use it, similar to those role playing computer games that we have back home.”Clifford pictured the set up the lad had by making him describe all the options he had, along with how it looked, then comparing it to his own. With that, he finds out that they had totally different systems.His face turned grimed, lips pursing with his brows furrowing from the mystery to why it was like that. Though pondering, he kept his attention on the surrounding people.“We can activate our skills just by thinking about it, so long as you have chosen it and are available. Also, we are only able to use abilities within our class.”Arty, being enthusiastic about his explanation, continued to wave of his hand, pointing his fingers every now in then, probably at the screen of his which remained invisible to others’ vision.Once finished with his preparation, he began chanting. Hands upfron
Quickly going in and out of the bushes, the pack of giant wolves appeared and disappeared whenever convenient, lunging at unsuspecting carriages, then running away back into the forest when a unit responds to the trouble.The monsters attacks were so coordinated, it began tiring the guards, as the men kept rushing to protect every single travelers within the caravan. Also, it didn’t help that night had befallen them, making it harder to grasp their surroundings.The two youngsters and the soldiers were having a hard time fighting the beasts, as they lack the numbers and none of them dared act alone. This was contrary to their opponents, since a single dire wolf was enough to cause chaos and disarray.Both animals and people can ran around in panic, a few got stuck in place, unable to move from the sheer terror. This made defending the convoy much harder, as their forces were being spread too thin as they tried to protect everybody.With a flick and a swish, Clifford opened several
Cries of fear and despair from a young girl, a mother calling in plea, begging for someone to rescue them, siblings coddled together, thinking they were safe if they held on to each other.Havoc had taken over the entire caravan. Merchants continued to vex the guards to help them secure their cargo, while some men took it upon themselves to fight, as they had families to protect. Those who had nothing to lose were lucky enough to escape on their own, running as their life depended on it.Of course, this was what the monsters were aiming for: divide and conquer, a basic instinctive tactic of animals who hunt in groups to catch prey.But through all this state of disorder and confusion, there was one person who remained stagnant, standing steadily like a sentry on the lookout.As dangerous as it was, this has been Clifford’s normal defense mechanism. By removing himself out of the picture, he got a good grasp of the situation from a different perspective.With no emotional attachment
Clifford remained looking at the shattered blade, still processing on the mistake he’d made. He was certain he had increased the weapons’ durability before using it, but cannot get around why it broke.He can’t help but ponder, trying to understand the error he did, coming up with speculations and realization in regard to the limits and capabilities of his system.“Are you well, sir Clifford?”Malver had moved closer to their now celebrated hero, curious as to the reason for his long silence.For the past hour after their encounter, the man had remained silent during their entire walk into the dead of the night, although everyone was in high spirits, celebrating their recent victory.Soldiers continued to talk about the feat as they made their way into the darkness of the forest, yet they no longer showed any hints of fear.Influenced by what they’ve seen, all of them had this renewed energy and courage. Each one becoming much vigilant and active than before.So it became a mystery to